


A curious find

by Strixian



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: Adoption, Dog - Freeform, Explicit Language, Pet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29193072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strixian/pseuds/Strixian
Summary: While on a run of the mill mission, Hoodie ends up coming across a puppy and on a whim takes it home.  At least it goes better than expected.“I need a favor.”  Hoodie said simply, standing slightly straighter as he faced the man known as Eyeless Jack.This catches his attention “A favor from you?  Really now,” EJ opened the door wider to lean against the doorframe “What would I be able to give you that you can’t get from the great and powerful Slenderman?”  There was no missing the sarcasm lacing his voice.“This,” Hoodie held out the bundle, the puppy’s head now barely poking out of the cloth.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

Golden eyes watched the man as he paced the basement floor, hands alternating between brushing through the stands and tugging them out. Papers were pinned on every available section of wall, not that the wolf knew what they were for. Nor did she care as she curled tighter into herself in an attempt to keep herself warm, a puff of white appearing with each breath. She had been a beautiful thing before she had been trapped in this prison, a tawny beast with sharp golden eyes and a stubborn attitude. Her stubborn nature was what drew her mate to her in the first place. Now she was barely a shadow of her former self, fur patchy in places as her ribs sought to rip from her skin. 

A slight snuffling pulled her from her thoughts. Blinking slowly, she shifted enough to see the tiny form pushed against her side. It gave another sigh like breath but made no other noise. Despite being only a week old, it knew not to make a sound, unless they wanted to attract the attention of the one who had locked them away in the first place. The wolf nudged her child lightly, gaining a tiny huff for her actions. The pup looked exactly like his father, charcoal colored fur paired with oversized ears and paws. She had no doubt his eyes would be take his strange red tint as well, if he lived long enough to open them. He was the last of her litter and not as big as he could have been, the other four having either died soon after birth or were taken by the man as fodder for his experiments.

The wolf picked up her head when the sound of yelling echoed throughout the room, setting her on edge. The man was clearly angry, stomping harshly on the unfinished dirt floor before tearing the small pieces of white bark off the wall. With a final shout, he staggered his way over to the dog crate with curled fists. The mother growled softly as she curled tighter around her child, who was letting out squeaks of fear as his mother’s scent changed. She couldn't understand his harsh guttural grunts as he grabbed the metal stick that had been resting on the floor beside the cage, reach for the door. The wolf let out guttural noises of her own when he looped the wire around her throat and dragged her from the small cage. She fought his hold, the sounds of her son’s panicked cries loud in her ears as she dug her blunted claws into the floor. It was useless though, as weeks of captivity paired with the lack of proper food and the space to move had worn down her body considerably. What was once a powerful force of nature had been reduced to a bag of bones that had no chance against a full grown human male. She was quickly pinned to the ground as the man stood over her, a glint of silver in his other hand. The last thing she remembered was the faint crying coming from the wire mesh and the harsh breathing of the human before something was stuck into her shoulder and the world went dark.

  
  


*POV shift* 

Two figures crouched in the bushes outside of an average single story house. The one wearing a white mask moved first, footsteps near silent as he crept though the overgrown grass that surrounded the property. His partner, a slightly taller figure wearing a dark orange hoodie, was quick to follow. They paused underneath the closest window, careful to avoid the neighbors prying eyes. Noting that the house was quiet, the white masked figure reached into his pocket, retrieving a pocket knife the size of his thumb. He flicked the blade open and carefully pried the screen away from the glass pane. He handed it to orange hood, who leaned it against the side of the house before peering back into the dark house. White mask stuck his fingers into the slight gap between the glass and the frame, about to pull it open when he froze. The sound of thudding footsteps reached their ears and as one they ducked so that they were no longer visible. A moment later a dim light brightened the room and heavy footsteps passed by their hiding spot, followed by a steady stream of creative curses and the sound of something being dragged. White mask poked his head over the sill while orange hood snuck off to see if there was a less conspicuous way inside. The former looked up just in time to see a large figure dressed in worn clothing stride into another room, not bothering to flick the light off behind him. The thing the man was dragging was large, though not quite human in shape. White mask didn’t have a chance to figure out what it was before he was gone. Not wasting any time, the intruder tugged the window open and slide inside, leaving the window cracked in case he needed to bolt.

The room he landed in looked to be a living room of sorts, with a tv pushed up against the closest wall and a blue two seat sofa in the middle of the room facing said tv with a lamp beside it. There wasn’t anything else, no pictures on the walls or even a rug tossed on the wood floor. ‘Might be a safe house,’ white mask thought, keeping his steps light as he made his way to the doorway his target had left through. He could still hear his cursing and used that to track him into the next room, a kitchen just as bare as the living room. From his position by the door, it didn’t even look like the place had an oven or a fridge. The man had stopped in the middle of the room to lean on one of the counters, his heated words having dried up for the moment as he stared at what he was clutching in his hand. Looking closer, white mask could just make out dark fur and a limp tail. ‘ _A dog, maybe? Why would he be so mad about a dog?_ ’

Before he could get any closer, the man gave a sigh before going on his way again. White mask though he was making his way towards the back door before he stopped at the far side of the room, the sound of metal on metal ringing though the air before he shifted to toss the dog into what must have been a cage. The dog never reacted to the harsh treatment and didn’t move even after the man lurched away from the cage to go through the cupboards. The target let out a triumphant when he pulled out a small bag of chips, shaking them slightly before turning to go back though the door white mask was hiding behind. Thinking quick, white mask darted back into the room, going for the couch. He had just curled himself behind the opposite arm of the chair when the man staggered in, snack in hand. He didn’t even glance in white mask’s direction before flopping onto the couch and flicking on the tv. Taking this as his chance, white mask quietly shuffled his way behind the couch, getting into a better position. The sooner he got this mission over with the better. The slight sound of shoes on tile caught his attention. A glance towards the kitchen revealed his partner crouched in the shadows with what looked like a rolling pin in his hand. White mask tilted his head slightly at that, confused at his companions choice in weaponry. He only got a shrug in response before he gestured at their target. Shaking his head slightly, he pulled the small length of pipe he had resting in loop on his jeans before motioning at his partner. As if on command, both of the figures rose, white mask leaping up with his pipe raised high while orange hood went low, skirting around the couch to take out the man’s legs. Their target didn’t even get a chance to cry out before the pipe found his temple, knocking him out before he could feel the pain of a wooden rolling pin shattering the bones under his left knee. “Easier than I expected,” white mask said softly, taking some zip ties out of his pocket and binding the man before dragging him into a corner of the room.

Orange hood nodded before going off to explore the rest of the house while white mask stood guard. He wandered back into the kitchen, turning off the light in case anyone was curious enough to look inside and spot their work. The cupboards held nothing of interest so he turned his attention to the dog crate sitting beside the back door. Crouching to see better, he noted that the hound inside had yet to move, even though they had taken out it’s master barely ten feet away from it. Looking closer, he could see a specks of foaming around its mouth and the faintest trembling of its chest. _‘Must be sick.’_ He was about to move off when the dog shifted, golden eyes snapping open to stare at him. It’s eyes were unfocused, seeming to stare somewhere over his shoulder. With a faint chuff, it struggled to stand, though it’s paws couldn’t seem to gain any purchase on the plastic mat of the cage. When it saw that it wasn’t going anywhere, the beast gave a pitiful whine and stilled, it’s eyes locked onto orange hood’s black mask. Orange hood held the stare, taken aback by the apparent hatred aim at him. With a final sigh like breath that spattered the foam across the cage and floor in front of the stranger, the wolf’s sides stuttered to a standstill, eyes settling in a thousand yard stare.

After waiting a moment to see if the dog was faking, orange hood pushes himself to his feet. He was aware that his companion was not the patient type so he quickly searched the rest of the first floor. Finding nothing of interest, he made his way towards the only door he had yet to check. Opening it revealed rickety wooden stairs leading into the darkness of what was most likely a basement. He didn’t hesitate, quickly locating the light switch before he took the stairs two at a time. The room he found was not overly large, about the size of the living room upstairs with a dirt floor and a few random things scattered about. What caught his attention was the plethora of photos that took up the walls that made up the basement’s shell. They held various images of people and creatures, some he knew well and others he had never even heard of before. How their target had gotten any of them in the first place was both surprising and concerning, they would have to be more aware of their surroundings from now on. Squaring his shoulders, orange hood started the task of tearing away each of the photos and stuffing them into the bag that swung by his hip to be burned later. 

He was halfway done with the first wall, wondering if it would be better just to burn the place to the ground when a faint noise reached his ears. Stopping, he cocked his head as he tried to figure out what had caught his attention. When it came a second time, he turned and scanned the basement. It was on the third sweep that he noticed the shadowy nook underneath the stairs. On guard, he crept over to the corner, only to find another dog cage, more rusted than the one upstairs. It appeared to be empty, so he turned to finish his job when the noise, a sigh of a whine, pulled at him again. Curious, he settled on his knees and peered closer at the cage. It wasn’t until he practically had his face pressed against the thin metal bars did he see the tiny form huddled in the back right corner of the cage. It took him a moment for his mind to register that he was looking at a puppy, it’s gray black fur almost hiding it completely in the dim lighting. After mulling over what he should do, the figure leaned forward and unlatched the cage, swinging the door open and reaching inside. It barely struggled as he brought his hand over it to touch it, breathy squeaking the most it seemed to be able to do. It seemed thinner than it should have been, resembling the dog that had been upstairs. ‘Maybe that was its mother,’ orange hood though idly as he plucked the pup up by its scruff. It didn’t resist, curling up slightly as he pulled it out into the dim light. Looking closely, he noticed that it’s eyes weren’t even open yet as it hung from his fingers. When he brought the mutt closer to his face, it gave a tiny squeak and made an attempt to lick his nose, only to scrunch up its muzzle at the taste of rough and vaguely sweaty fabric. That seemed to seal a deal of sorts as orange hood stood, carefully placing the tiny puppy in his jacket pocket before going back to his job, keeping a hand on its trembling form to keep it from falling out.

Orange hood moved faster after that, knowing that he had already spent too much time in the gloomy basement. Thankfully the pictures were held up with pins so they were easy to tear off the wall. Throughout this procedure, his passenger never made a sound, most likely content to finally be warm again. After double checking that every photo was stashed away and that his bag was securely zipped up, he made his way quickly up the stairs, one hand still on the dozing puppy and the other out for balance. With a minute he stood beside his companion, who was leaning against the wall rolling a cigarette between the gloved fingers of his left hand. He stashed it when he spotted his partner and stood a bit straighter “Took you long enough. Get everything?”

“Of course.” Orange hood nodded towards his bag, though his partner had zoomed in on the hand still tucked into his pocket.

“What did you find?” He asked as he shifted the unconscious man onto his shoulder.

Orange hood pulled his hand out of his pocket, presenting his quiet passenger. They barely fit in the palm of his hand “Turns out the dog in there had a puppy.” The creature whined lightly, complaining as it was pulled from the warmth it so desperately needed.

“Hoodie, we can’t keep a dog. I didn’t think I would be telling you of all people that.” White mask huffed, making his way towards the back door.

“I’ll deal with it.” Hoodie replies tersely, returning his newest companion to his pocket.

“Don’t complain to me when the operator makes you get rid of it.” White mask says as he slips out the back door, heading towards the line of trees that marked the end of the property line. Hoodie says nothing as he follows close behind, only taking a moment to replace the screen before settling in his usual spot beside white mask. The puppy nestled in his pocket never makes a noise, only curling deeper into the fabric as he gently stroked its head and back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank yo so much for choosing to read this story! If you want to read ahead, I have more chapters on my quotev account (which is called Strix), this is just more edited and another incentive to update more (which I really need to do).


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn’t long before the thick forest gives way to a large clearing with what looked like a crumbling mansion with a wrap around porch resting in its center. The pair climbed the familiar steps and made their way inside, which was a far cry from its exterior. Where on the outside it looked like the house was coming apart at the seams, the inside took on a cozy, well taken care of feel with worn carpet and a somewhat recent looking coat of paint. Sure, there were cracks in the walls, but that was more due to the rowdy residents that called this place home than the elements.

  
The two passed through the main living room as they made their way up the stairs to deliver the news of their latest mission and hand the man still settled on white mask’s shoulder to his ill awaited fate. As usual, the living room couch was occupied by two male currently cursing each other out as they focused on the game playing out on the t.v in front of them. They didn’t turn to acknowledge the pair and the returning duo didn’t do anything to gain their attention, quickly scaling the stairs and striding towards the massive doors that marked the office belonging to the head of the house. They nodded the other residents of the house that they passed but never stopped.

  
“ _Come in,_ ” a voice crackled in their heads when they reached the aforementioned doors. They were quick to do so, closing the doors behind them before making their way towards the middle of the room. The operator, a tall faceless being with an odd love for black suits, sat behind a desk with his head resting on one hand in a bored fashion. He waited until the two proxies were positioned in their usual spot before speaking “ _Masky, Hoodie, I see your mission went well._ ”

  
“Of course,” Masky dumped the man onto the plush floor. The man groaned and twitched a bit but never opened his eyes. Hoodie followed by carefully pulling off the bag he had been carrying and moved forward to place it on the desk. He felt the puppy stir a bit but like before, it never made a sound.

  
“ _I expected nothing less_ ,” The tall rises to his full height, rounding his desk to stand beside the unconscious human “You even went the extra mile and brought him back for a chat,” He turned his gaze back to the tense pair “ _You are dismissed_.” The two males were quick to heed that last command, hurrying out the door to clean up before having to deal with the rest of the mansion residents. “ _Oh, and Hoodie?_ ” Said man froze, his foot an inch from leaving the office “ _I know you picked something up and as such I expect you to bring it back here so I may examine it further_.”

  
“Yes sir,” Hoodie said, restraining himself from running to join Masky, his fuzzy companion shifting slightly under his hold. The pair walked side by side down the hall, each making for their own rooms. Masky gave him a weary wave before slipping into his room and shutting the door. Hoodie wasted no time entering his own room and flicking on the light before sitting heavily on his bed. After a moment he sighed and grabbed the puppy nestled in his pocket. It gave a yip as he held it in cupped hands, looking it over in greater detail this time. It was male, fitting snugly in his palm with large paws and pointed ears in the same fashion that reminded him of the german shepherd puppies that Sally had insisted in showing him a few weeks back. It fur straddled the border between gray and black, with a darker stripe marking its spine and fading along the middle of its feathered tail. It was while he was making his inspection that he noticed something warmth spread along his hands, making him flinch slightly. “I’m surprised you didn’t do that earlier,” Hoodie sighed, placing the pup on his lap before pulling off his now soggy gloves and tossing them in a nearby clothes hamper that was already half full. The puppy gave a squeak, squirming around a moment before settling.

  
Hoodie once again lifted the dog by the scruff this time, and headed towards his bathroom. It wasn’t anything impressive, just a room not much bigger than a broom closet with a sink, toilet and a standing shower tucked into the far right corner. Heading towards the sink, he flicked the water on and let it run a few minutes, washing his hands as he waited for it to warm up. Not knowing what soap would be safe to use and his phone laying dead in the other room, he just shrugged and placed the puppy in the lukewarm water, deciding soap would be used on some other bath day. The furry creature started complaining as soon as his back paws hit the watery surface, letting out loud squeals that defied its tiny form. “Shush,” was all Hoodie said, bopping the pup softly on the nose, though that did nothing to quiet it’s cries.

  
Within a few minutes, the dog had been cleaned and was now wrapped in a towel clutched to Hoodie’s chest. It had quieted, thankfully, and was now sniffing and nibbling at the cloth. “You must be hungry,” he thought for another moment before stiffening ‘Wait, he’s too young to eat solid food, so what do I feed him?’ He was pulled from his thoughts by a harsh pounding on his door. Tucking the pup more securely under his arm, he made his way over to the slab of wood that kept the outside world at bay “What is it?”

  
Standing just outside was a pale teen with a chelsea smile and greasy black hair “Can you keep it down? We could hear you and your girlfriend all the way down in the living room.”

  
Hoodie scrunched up his face at the implication “I’m not you, Jeff. I would never bring anyone, let alone a girlfriend, into the mansion.”  
“Then what was with all the screaming, huh?” Jeff asked, hands tucked into his white hoodie pockets. It was obvious that he had yet to notice the bundle under the proxy’s arm, though the furred being in question fixed that by letting out a chirp of a bark. It only took a moment for Jeff to hone in on the noisemaker “The shit is that?”

  
“It’s a puppy I found out on my latest mission.” Hoodie shifted the towel, holding it up so Jeff could see him better. Now, while Jeff couldn’t stand people, he had an odd soft spot for animals, case in point that he had a dog of his own, a massive husky looking thing with human teeth everyone called Smile. Sure, he wasn’t exactly a pet but it was the thought that counts.

  
“I didn’t take you as an animal person,” Jeff states, lidless eyes still focused on the squirming form “It have a name?”

  
“Not yet, I don’t even know if I’ll be keeping it.” Hoodie pulled the pup closer to his chest. It ceased it’s wriggling, tucking itself closer to the male.

  
“Well, good luck with that I guess.” Jeff gave the dog one last glance before turning and making his way back downstairs, no doubt intent on telling everyone that one of Slenderman’s head proxies was going soft. Making sure he had a firm grasp on the pup, Hoodie thought a moment before heading in the opposite direction. There were a few doctors that lived in the house so it was possible that they would know how to care for his new pet. Of course he was most likely assuming too much but they were his only hope until his phone recharged enough to turn back on. It was a few minutes before he found himself standing in front of a thick steel door painted a dark blue with streaks of black around the door handle. He knocked on the cool metal, shivering slightly when his bare knuckle came in contact with the cold material.

  
It wasn’t long before footsteps approached and the door swung open to reveal a disgruntled male wearing a navy blue mask weeping what looked like tar “I don’t smell anyone bleeding so what do you want?”

  
“I need a favor.” Hoodie said simply, standing slightly straighter as he faced the man known as Eyeless Jack.

  
This catches his attention “A favor from you? Really now,” EJ opened the door wider to lean against the doorframe “What would I be able to give you that you can’t get from the great and powerful Slenderman?” There was no missing the sarcasm lacing his voice.

  
“This,” Hoodie held out the bundle, the puppy’s head now barely poking out of the cloth.

  
EJ tilted his head slightly, something he did when he was curious about something “A dog? I’m a doctor, not a vet.”

“I just need to know what to feed him. You know that much at least, right?” Hoodie asked, mimicking the surgeon’s head tilt.  
EJ sighed before pushing off the door frame “You’re not the only one to bring in a baby animal so yeah, I know what you need. Let me write you a list.” The man vanished into his room and returned a minute later, a piece of paper in hand. He passed it over to the waiting male “Here you go, just don’t come crying to me if this doesn’t work out. Not every animal survives being raised by a human, especially when they’re that young.” His words were similar to what Masky had told him earlier, down the tone of voice being used.

  
“Can you tell how old he is?” Hoodie spoke up.

  
“Again, not a vet but since his eyes aren’t open yet I doubt he’s more than a week old, two at the most. Now, are we done here or what?”

  
Hoodie thinks for a moment before going on “How’s Toby doing?” He asked as he took the paper and stuffed it into his pocket

  
E.J gave an irritated growl “Still sedated on one of the cots. You’d think he’d learn not to pick a fight with the Rake of all creatures. He should be up in a few hours though.”  
“Alright. Thanks for the help, EJ.” The man nodded before retreating back into his room and shutting the door.

  
It took a moment before Hoodie moved from his spot in front of the door, thoughts bouncing around his head as he stroked the area between the puppy’s ears. He was dozing by this point, head snapping up every few moments as an attempt to stay awake. Even if he wasn’t going to have the critter for long, he still needed to feed it. Bay animals needed to be fed a lot, didn’t they? The man was pulled from his head when a flare of static nearly caused him to trip over his feet “Hoodie, I want to see you in my office.” With that he was gone, most likely off to mentally terrorize someone else while waiting for Hoodie to show up. Squaring his shoulders and making sure he had a firm hold on the bundle, Hoodie strode once more towards the intimidating oak doors.


	3. Chapter 3

Slender was sitting in the same position he had when Hoodie had walked out half an hour prior, though this time he was looking through a pile of papers and the human was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t look up when the proxy went to stand in the middle of the room, preferring to let Hoodie simmer for a few minutes. He enjoyed the discomfort he was creating before he finally spoke, “ _Well, what did you pick up? It’s not like you to bring things back that aren’t part of the mission._ ”

Hoodie dug into the now slightly soggy towel, revealing the sleeping hound to his keeper. It gave a huff when the cloth was pulled away, annoyed that he had been awakened from his brief nap. He moved his head towards Slender when the creature tossed a paper into the overflowing trash can sitting beside his desk. “I found him in the basement of the target’s house. There was another dog in the house, but it died soon after we arrived. I assume it was the mother but there was no way to be certain.”

Slender pushed his chair back and walked around the desk, coming to a halt in front of the man who at that moment was grateful for his mask, which was currently do what he hoped was a great job at hiding his grimace. He remembered the last time someone had tried to bring an animal into the house. It hadn't gone well for any of the parties involved.

The looming creature leaned closer to the pup, the blank spot where his face would have been nearly grazing the hound’s gray nose. Without giving any indication of what he was planning on doing, he plucked the puppy from Hoodie’s grasp and straightened to his full height. The proxy cringed ever so slightly as he watched the scene play out, unable to do anything as the young animal gave a surprised cry and swung between long gloved fingers. A drop from that height would probably kill him or at least break a few bones. 

He turns the pup this way and that, even flipping him over at one point as he went about his examination “ _You’ve certainly brought home an interesting find,_ ” Slender finally turned his attention back to Hoodie, an odd tone in his voice making it seem like he was holding something back “ _You may keep the creature. Think of it as a reward for completing your missions up to this point without fail. Make sure you train it well._ ” Slender carefully placed the now wailing pup back in Hoodie’s waiting hand. He quieted as soon as he landed in his familiar hands, nosing his way towards the man’s chest in a bid at comfort.

“I will, sir.” Hoodie nearly stuttered, amazed things had gone so smoothly. He had honestly thought Slender would have tossed the pup out the closest window just save himself the hassle of being near the thing. The tall man strides slowly back to his desk, waving a hand behind him to indicate that he was done talking. Hoodie stumbled out of the room, towel slung over his shoulder as he did his best to calm the tiny creature.

“How’d it go?” Hoodie glanced to the side to see Masky standing a few feet to his left, half slouched against the wall.

“He let me keep him.” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice as he peered down at his new responsibility.

Masky scoffs “Really? He must see it as another way to keep you in check. Try not to get to attached just in case.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Do you want to hold him?” Hoodie asks, shifting the puppy slightly.

“No thanks,” The pair fall into a comfortable silence as they strode down the long hall with no destination in mind. It was a few more minutes before Masky speaks up again “You think up a name yet? I’m assuming you’ll be the one picking it out since it’s yours.”

Hoodie thinks for a moment before responding, “I honestly don’t know,” He looks down at the pup, who was once again sleeping, half hidden in his sweater “Ask me again in a few days.”

“Are you going to take him with you when you go for supplies?” Masky asks.

The black masked man shakes his head “That would be a bad idea,” He hesitantly looks at Masky “I was kind of hoping you would look after him while I’m gone?”

The shorter man stops, turning his full attention towards his partner “I don’t even want to hold the thing so why would I want to babysit it? Why can’t you ask someone else? I’m sure E.J would look after the thing since he already knows about it.”

“I already owe him one favor. I’ll sneak you something from the store.”

Masky hesitates before sighing “Fine, you get me a double pack of cigarettes and I’ll watch the mutt.”

“Deal.” Hoodie places the puppy in Masky’s hesitant hands before booking it down the hall before the man could back out. The puppy, noticing the change in holders, lets out an indignant squeak as he tries to reorient himself.

“Quiet you.” Masky grumbles, cradling the creature with one arm as he made his way down the stairs. The dog gave another chirp before busying himself by chewing on the collar of Masky’s tan jacket or trying to anyway, seeing as he didn't even have teeth yet. The only thing he manages to accomplish is leave a spreading drool stain behind.

At this time of day a majority of his housemates were out, most likely running around the nearby towns causing havoc, so he had no trouble getting to the kitchen without someone stopping him to ask about the bundle of fluff he was holding. Of course, there was already someone there anyway, cursing under their breath as they dug through the fridge. They slammed the door closed just as the proxy wandered in, the flow of foul language drying up when they spotted the creature huddled in the man’s arms.

He pushed his green hat back, as if it was messing with his vision “So Jeff wasn’t lying when he said you guys brought a flea bag home.”

“Not ‘you guys’, Hoodie did this all on his own. Slenderman even let him keep it for some reason.” Masky corrected, ignoring the smile growing on the elf’s face as the proxy made his way over the cabinet in search of who knows what. It was always a gamble when you opened a cabinet in this house.

“At least it’s not another person. Place is already pretty crowded.” BEN said, coming closer “Are you sure this is a dog? It’s tiny.”

“Hold him and decide for yourself.” He holds the pup out by its scruff, not looking away from his search.

“I’m good.” BEN backed up “I get drooled on enough by Smile when he decides to show up.” A sudden thought pops into the glitch’s head “How do you think he’ll react to having another dog in the house?”

Masky shrugs as he pulls out a box of cereal “With our luck he’ll probably kill the thing and end our problems before they have chance to start. Then again, you never know with him.” He readjusted his hold on the animal, holding him close to his chest as he walked over to grab the almost expired milk from the fridge.

“I bet he’s gonna adopt the thing just to spite you.” BEN said, snickering as he wandered back into the living room. 

“More than likely.” Masky sighs, settling himself at the table with the puppy in his lap. The dog rolled around a bit before curling up into a ball to try and snatch a few more minutes of sleep. 

Hoodie returned about two hours later, three plastic bags hanging from his shoulder as he strode into the house. A few of the residents he passed gave him curious glances or smug grins but otherwise left him alone, knowing that teasing a high level proxy was a good way to end up in their version of a hospital. It only took him a few minutes to make his way to Masky’s room. The door opened before he could knock, with Masky standing half hidden behind it “Took you long enough.”

Hoodie gestures with the bags, digging through one to pull out a pack of cigarettes and tossing them to the reluctant babysitter “Eyeless wrote a long list,” He notes that Masky’s arms were suspiciously puppy free “Where’s the dog?”

Masky catches the box with ease, tucking them into his pocket before opening the door wider, allowing Hoodie to step inside “It passed out on the bed and if it’s anything like a human baby I would rather not wake it up.” The white masked man nods towards a narrow bed covered with a few blankets. A small gray mound lay curled in the middle, tail fanned over his face as if he was trying to block out the world. Or maybe that’s just how he fell asleep. Hoodie shifts the bag before walking over to the bed and picking the puppy up from the warm blankets. He gives a yelp and squirms a minute before the man’s scent washes over him and he relaxes, letting out a chirp in greeting.

“Looks like it thinks you’re its mom,” Masky says, still standing by the doorway “What are you going to do when we have to go out on missions?”

Hoodie shrugs, tucking the puppy securely in his pouch pocket “Missions have been slow lately and we just came back from one. It’s possible we won’t have another one for at least a week. By that time I should have things worked out.”

Masky shakes his head “Planning ahead, as always. Now, you’re my best friend and all that bull but would you get out? I really need to get to bed before I end up passing out on the carpet? Those idiots wouldn't leave me alone when they saw the thing and I have one hell of a migraine to sleep off.”


	4. Chapter 4

Word quickly spreads about the newest member to call the mansion home. The first one to openly seek Hoodie out to see if this was true is Toby, fresh from the medical ward two days after the canine’s surprise arrival. His heavy handed knocking would have startled Hoodie from the second feeding of the night, if he hadn't noticed the heavy footsteps stop on front of his door. He placed the puppy in the blanket lined hamper(The short walled ones not the tall roll around ones) and placed the feeding syringe down on the bed before walking over to the door. He raises a brow at the young proxy, swaying on his feet but determined to remain upright all the same “Toby?” Hoodie asks, unsure as to why the man was standing outside of his door at nearly four in the morning.

“E.J said something about us having a new dog?” Toby asks, looking around Hoodie as if the dog in question was standing right behind him.

“You came here at this time to ask about this? Does Eyeless know you’re out here?”

Toby nods quickly “I walked out right in front of him and he tried to impale me with a scalpel so he should know. Now, what’s this about a dog?”

Knowing how stubborn Toby is, even in this state, Hoodie sighs steps back to let the younger male into the room “You’re lucky he’s awake right now, just keep your voice down. And don’t try to pick him up.” It was obvious that the man had stopped listening as soon as he walked into the room and spotted the makeshift nest pushed against the side of the bed. 

His unsteadiness is apparently forgotten, he trots over and kneels next to the hamper “Aww, he’s so cute!” Toby coos, waving his hand close to the puppy’s muzzle. Still blind at this point, the puppy reacted more to the sense of movement than the sight of it. He tilts his head upwards and weakly tries to nip at the fingers wiggling just above his head.

Hoodie strides over and pushes Toby’s hand away “Alright, you’ve seen the dog, are you satisfied?”

The younger man stares at the nameless pup for a minute longer before heaving himself to his feet, uncharacteristically obedient “I’ll leave, on one condition.”

Hoodie gives him a wary stare from under his mask “What would that be?”

“I get to hold him whenever I want.” Toby states.

“Within reason.” Hoodie leans back on his heels, already finished with the conversation. 

“Alright, within reason,” Toby relents, letting himself out and closing the door behind him. Hoodie could hear him as he stumbled down the hall, no doubt bumping into walls as he walked past Masky’s room and made his way into his own. He waits a moment before sitting back down on the bed. The puppy was wide awake by this point, trying his hardest to climb up the side before tumbling back into the middle of the nest with an indignant squawk. The proxy watches for a moment, resisting the urge to snicker as he watched tiny legs kick at the air, often punctuated by barely audible growls.

Nearly losing that little battle with himself, Hoodie pulls the pup up by the scruff of his neck, placing him in his lap and keeping one hand on the wriggling form as he reaches for the feeding syringe. He had tried the bottle but the creature had so much trouble latching on that Hoodie had switched to the method he was using now. It still took a few tries but at least he was eating. While the puppy went through hos second meal of the morning, Hoodie starts talking, testing out names to see if the tiny form reacted to any of them. Sure, he couldn’t hear yet but it didn’t hurt to try “Kit? Charlie? Jasper?” The dog doesn’t react to any of the names, more intent on the milk dribbling from his chin than anything else.

“How about M/n?” The puppy suddenly pulls away from the syringe and looks directly up at the proxy with eyes still firmly sealed shut. He kept his blind gaze directed upward for another moment before giving a squeaky yawn and shaking his head before curling into a tight ball, tail over nose. “M/n it is then. Nice to finally have something to call you.” Hoodie says as he places the feeding tool on the mattress. He shifts M/n into his arms before heading towards the bathroom, intent on doing the chores that followed feeding a practically newborn animal before getting the dog and himself some semblance of sleep.

  
  


Hoodie wakes up a few hours later, the sun barely making its way through the thick pines as it creeps into his room via a rip in his curtain. He lays under the layers of blankets for a moment, savoring the lingering warmth before dragging himself out of bed. Seeing that M/n was still dozing with only his tail sticking out of his blanket, Hoodie goes through his morning routine. He returns to his room half an hour later to see his canine companion was up and about, snuffling and kicking up the cloth as he rolled around. The man strides over and plucks the puppy from his makeshift cradle, tucking him under his arm as he grabs a few things, such as the can of milk powder and two of the feeding syringes(the one he used last night and a clean one) and puts them into a plastic bag. M/n doesn’t struggle, instead he tucks himself as close to his human as he can get. Last but not least, he tugs on his mask, making sure it was on straight before heading for the door.

Masky is standing out in the hall when Hoodie exits his room, looking out one of the many windows that lined the walls. He turns when he hears his partner approach “It’s still alive then.” He didn’t phrase it as a question, stating it more as a fact than anything else.

“I would assume so. He is still breathing though that doesn't mean much.”

Damn it,” Masky teases “Guess you’re stuck with it for now.”

“Knock it off, you might just jinx the little guy,” Hoodie says, walking a little faster to keep in stride with Masky. The shorter proxy had a habit of speed walking everywhere, claimed it was one of the ways he stayed so fit. Hoodie thinks he does it to piss people off.

“We have scarier things than jinxes living here, so jinxes should be the least of your problems.” The two continued to keep the banter up between each other, trading the occasional jab until the sound of footsteps approaching from behind sends them into what could be called work mode. Masky straightens, curling his fists at his sides while Hoodie rolls his shoulders and tucks M/n into his pocket, not that the dog complained about the extra warmth.

The pair look back to see Toby running down the hall, the false happiness he shows the world out in full force. He skids to a stop on Masky’s other side, almost putting an arm around the hostile male before realizing he might lose an arm if he did so and debating if he should do it anyway, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“When has that ever been our job? Besides, we enjoy the rare moments of silence before you show up and inevitably ruin it.” Masky states coldly.

Toby ignores Masky's snide comment and turns his attention on Hoodie “Hey, what did you do with the dog?”

“He’s right here,” The tallest of the trio pats his pocket carefully, earning a faint yip in return.

“Remember our deal?” Toby asks, holding his hands out in a 'give' motion.

“What deal?” Masky asks, on guard. It was never a good idea to make a deal with anyone living in this particular house, unless you were looking to be betrayed in some fashion. Just because the pyro was a proxy didn't mean he was excluded from that fact.

“He wants to hold M/n,” Hoodie says, pulling the puppy out of his pocket and placing him in Toby’s waiting hands “Don’t drop him.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Toby says, shifting his hold so that he was holding him under his front legs. M/n squirms at the somewhat uncomfortable position but was quickly getting used to rough handling. Toby stares a few more seconds before cradling the canine in his arms. Seeing that he had little intention of handing the fuzz ball back at the moment, Hoodie let him be, though he kept a close eye on the pair. The walk down to the kitchen was surprisingly quiet, as Toby was completely focused on the pup.

In a rare decent mood, Masky is the one to start up a conversation. They were walking down the stairs when he spoke up “So you named him M/n? Why that name?”

Hoodie shrugs “It was the first thing he reacted to.”

“Better than nothing, I guess.” By this time the three men reach the living room, which was already buzzing with chatter from other residents as they lounged on the couch or leaned against walls in pairs, each absorbed in their own worlds. Some even sat in front of the fireplace, trying to set something alight with little success. 

Toby finally lifts his face from M/n, drawn to the flickering in the fireplace and the sound of a lighter flicking every five seconds “They’re doing it wrong,” He growls, handing the canine off to Hoodie before stalking over to the struggling pastas.

“We better go before he blows something up. Again.” Masky strides towards their destination, Hoodie not far behind with the pup in one hand and the bag of supplies in the other. This room was less crowded, just a few beings sitting at the table or on the counter, in Sally’s case. Hoodie doesn't have the time to hide M/n before the little girl looks in his direction. She lets out an ear piercing squeal before practically launching herself off the counter. The others, used to her behavior, don’t even flinch. “Good luck,” Masky smirks under his mask, leaving Hoodie to his fate as he wanders over to the fridge. The man would have given him the bird if his hands weren’t full. Instead, he sighs and braces himself for impact.

“Is that a puppy?” Sally is in front of him within an instant, trying to make up for her short stature by jumping. 

Before Hoodie can get a word out, someone speaks for him “Yes, it’s a dog, now can you quiet down?” E.J says as he walks into the kitchen.

“I was just asking a question.” Sally huffs, folding her arms as she pouts in the blue masked man’s direction. She was the only one who could get away with this without being promptly disemboweled, being a ward under the watchful eye of Slenderman and all.

“And I was answering said stupid question,” E.J turns towards Hoodie, tuning the girl out entirely “Looks like you followed my instructions well enough. May I see him?” The proxy hands M/n over without any fuss. The puppy’s nose twitches a bit as they take in the strong smell of chemicals and copper before letting out a sneeze. “How did it go during feeding time?”

“He ate what I gave him. Why do you care so much?” Hoodie asks, more curious than hostile. Sally, seeing that she would not be able to interject much into the conversation without being ignored, walks away with a dark frown marring her features.

“Because this little guy has become a patient of mine,” E.J states, pulling up M/n’s lips to reveal slightly pale pink gums “He needs to eat a bit more. Doesn't help that he's still slightly dehydrated.”

“I thought you weren’t a vet.”

“You’d be surprised what you can learn online.” He hands M/n back to Hoodie “Come by my room after breakfast so I can do a more thorough check up.” With that the man turns and ambles out of the room. It only takes a moment the sound of yelling erupts from the living room, followed by E.J berating someone about fire safety and 'to wait until he was out of the house with his equipment before they decided to burn it to the ground'.

‘Why did he even come in here in the first place?’ Hoodie wonders to himself before going to join Masky at the table. There were less people sitting around now, either scared off by Eyeless Jack or had found better things to occupy their time. “Thanks for leaving me,” He says as he plops M/n into the smug man’s lap. The canine immediately starts to chew on Masky’s coat with his teeth nubs.

“Why are you leaving him with me?” Masky asks, putting his mug down to keep the puppy from eating through the tough material.

“Karma. And I need to make his breakfast and get some for myself.” The rest of the morning went smoothly enough. A few other people came over to greet the new addition while others ignored the creature, assuming that M/n wouldn’t live to see the end of the week. 

Hoodie and Masky stood from their chairs, about to start their day in earnest when Jeff strolled in, hands in his pockets as his eyes bounced around the room. He changed directions when he spotted the two men. Not bothering to say hello, he jumped straight to the point “I just crossed paths with Smile on the way here and he didn’t exactly look happy. He’s also heading in this direction so good luck trying to hide the mutt from him.”

And of course that's the moment the subject of their discussion decides strut through the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was brought to my attention by one of my wonderful commenters that I forgot to mention that I had forgot to mention that I had more chapters on my quotev account (Strix if want to go looking) where this story is concerned. You don't have to check it out as this will (hopefully) be fully caught up soon enough and really, this is more edited anyway. Now, I'm going to work on that chapter I've been promising for a while now and leave you all to have a lovely day/night! (Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading this and making me smile like an idiot every time I see a new comment and read.)


	5. Chapter 5

Or his human counterpart, at least. 

The room empties in under a minute, leaving the proxies alone with a smirking Jeff, who was obviously more entertained at the promise of impending violence than anything else. No one wanted to face an enraged hound with human teeth and a creative mind, at least not if they had a choice in the matter. “Well?” Jeff asks, tilting his head slightly “What’s your oh so amazing plan to keep Smile here from eating your new pet?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it.” Hoodie sighs, putting the feeding supplies on the table as he glances down at the canine in his lap. M/n, sensing the tension, lets out a low whine and tries to nose his way under the man’s sweater, only to get stuck halfway. He glances at Masky as he tugs the pup back, mindful of his tiny claws “You gonna be my backup on this one?”

“Is that even a question by this point?” Masky states before turning his attention to Jeff “How long do we have?” He was answered by a door slamming open in the background.

“Five seconds, give or take?” Jeff shrugs. 

A moment later a large husky with red tinged fur appears, standing in the doorway as he looks around the room much like Jeff had done a few moments before. Instead of joining his partner in lounging against the wall, though, he stalks towards Hoodie the moment he spots him with his tail standing on end. Both proxies stand, Hoodie holding M/n to his chest while Masky’s hand slowly crept towards his jean pocket. 

Much to everyone’s surprise, though, Hoody strides forward to meet the hostile hound, presenting the puppy like a prize to the older dog “Smile, this is M/n. He was given permission by Slenderman himself to stay here.” M/n wiggles in his grip, now more curious than afraid thanks to his human's apparent approval of the newcomer.

Smile pauses, teeth bared in their eternal grin as he sniffs at the small creature. “ _ Didn’t think I’d ever see a Fenrir mutt in this house. This house gets weirder every time I come back. _ ” A gruff voice echoes through the heads of those in the kitchen.

“Fenrir? Like the norse legend?” Jeff asks, gaining looks from the others “What? Contrary to popular opinion, I do read.”

“Of course you do,” Masky snarks, walking over to stand beside Hoodie “What do you mean by  _ a  _ fenrir?”

“ _ Wouldn’t you like to know? _ ” Smile responds, turning tail and trotting out of the kitchen with his tail held high.

“Well, that was anticlimactic.” Jeff grumbles, his own grin trying to tug itself into an annoyed frown and settling in a half grimace instead before following the husky out of the room.

“This thing really is too lucky for its own good.” Masky reaches out to ruffle M/n fur, earning a yip.

“Hope he decides to share some with the rest of us.” Hoodie says, straightening as he looks at the doorway everyone had left through.

“What do you think he meant by Fenrir?” His partner asks, fingers tapping an unsteady beat on his pocket, right above where his switchblade rested.

Hoodie shrugs, “You know as much as I do.” M/n, not feeling like he was having enough to do with the conversation, lets out a growl in an attempt to gain the group’s attention. 

Masky gently tugs on the pup’s tail, “Yeah, we're talking about you. Makes sense why Slenderman would let you keep him then, doesn’t it? No such thing as normal in this house, even when it comes to our animals.”

Hoodie hums in agreement “That means he’s more likely to survive.”

“Or become a major threat in the future. I’m sure the library has something on him and you have two weeks to try and figure it out.” Masky pats the taller man’s back before making his way towards the living room.

“Wait, you aren’t going to help me with this?” 

“You already stuck me with babysitting duty once and besides, he’s your dog. Don't have to much fun.”

It’s safe to say that Hoodie spent a lot of his surprise vacation in the library. He even set up his own space at a table in the farthest corner of the room, with books piled up into leaning towers and a small gated area covered in puppy pads, where the object of his research hung out. That was also where a lot of M/n’s firsts happened.

Hoodie had left M/n in his pen and was coming back with a few promising books, both on norse mythology and dogs in general, when he noticed the first change. The canine was crawling around the area, sniffing at a piece of carpet he’d discovered under a pad when he looked up at the proxy’s approaching footsteps. Instead of the screwed shut eyelids Hoodie had grown accustomed to, a pair of foggy blue eyes gazed back at him. The man dropped off the tomes and walked over for a closer inspection. M/n’s eyes were indeed open, though a bit crossed “Well, look who can finally see, kind of anyway.” 

The dog gives a chirp in response, shaking his head before going back to whatever he was doing. Hoodie also noticed that his ears, one of them at least, had started to perk up a bit, giving the hound a bit of a dopey look. He smirks a bit before settling at the table, listening to M/n as he growls and grumbles to himself. He had a few visitors in that time, mostly Toby looking to play with the fur ball or Masky, claiming he had nothing better to do before taking the seat across from him. E.J even dropped by once to check up on the dog, saying his progress was as expected before leaving again.

By the time week two draws to a close, M/n had started to stumble around by himself, often bumping into the sides of the pen before going on his way. Hoodie was also no closer to figuring out what the creature he had picked up was. Sure, the books he had found had a lot of information on Fenrir himself but Smile had said fenrir like a species, not a singular creature. Hoodie glances down at the canine dozing on his lap, now easily half the length of his leg when he wasn't curled up, far to big to fit in his pocket “Guess mystery runs in the family.” M/n shifts, huffing lightly but not waking up. Slender had also refused to tell him what had happened to the human they had brought in, saying he was no longer an issue that needed to be pressed upon. He’d probably fed him to E.J or something in that manner after he was finished with him. Or maybe he was in one of the cells that line the back rooms of the basement. Without any proof, it was better just to leave it alone, unless he wanted to join those rotting below his feet.

Hoodie pushes the latest book of folklore aside and stretches, nearly jolting the hound from his lap with the movement. Now awake, M/n turns his baby blues on the masked man, tail thumping a slow rhythm against his jeans. He raises a brow “Hungry?” The dog whines softly, his beat speeding up “Guess I can take a break.” Hoodie stands, tucking the hound in the crook of his arm as he makes his way towards the library exit.

He was barely three steps into the hall when he’s stopped by a familiar game loving gremlin “Slender’s looking for you?” BEN says, looking more irritated than usual. He kicks at the threadbare carpet as he waits for Hoodie to respond.

“Why didn’t call for me himself?” The male asks, tilting his head ever so slightly. It was obvious he had spent far too much time with a certain surgeon lately to be good for his sanity.

BEN shrugs “Something about being punished for my latest plan to entertain myself.”

“Do I want to know?” Hoodie asks, already walking towards the path he had long since memorized.

This gains a smirk from the elf “It involved fire, some choice items from L.J's stash and Jeff’s favorite hoodie, so maybe not.”

“Then I really don’t want to know.” By the time Hoodie stood in front of the door, BEN had wandered off to find something else to do. Making sure M/n was secure, The frowning man pushed the door open with his free hand. 

Masky and Toby were already in the room, standing straight backed in front the oak desk. Toby was twitching more than usual, though it was hard to tell if it was due to the fact he was standing in what the resident’s often called the principal's office or the possibility of having a mission after a two week hiatus. The only one who reacted to Hoodie’s entrance was Slenderman himself, who was standing by the large window that took up most of the wall behind his desk “ _ Good to see that BEN did as he was told, a miracle in itself. We can finally start this meeting. _ ” 

He shifts so that he was facing the proxies, Hoodie now standing to Masky’s left with the puppy staring at odd suited being with intense eyes. He couldn’t see very well yet but that didn’t stop him from taking everything in. Slender makes a sound similar to clearing his throat “ _ Before that though, how has your new pet been faring? _ ”

“Alive and thriving, sir.” Hoodie says monotonously, fighting the urge to ask him if he knew what M/n was.

If he sensed the orange hooded man’s questions, he ignored them, “ _ Thanks to the efforts of an over enthusiastic Dr.Smiley, we managed to get some information from the man you brought in. Keep in mind that this might be false information given to throw us off. _ ” Slender paused a moment before continuing, “ _ It seems like his source wasn’t entirely human in nature. _ ”


	6. Chapter 6

“W-we already kind of knew that, didn’t we? Or I thought we did.” Toby pipes up, already anticipating across the back of the head via one of the tendrils hidden within the tall beings back. It never came, much to the boy’s relief.

“ _Did you two also assume this?_ ” Slenderman asks pointedly at the silent duo.

“Yes sir. How else would they have gotten so much information in so little time?” Masky says, trying to keep his tone neutral even as he minutely tenses.

“ _Alright then. Do you have a guess as to who was supplying this information?_ ” His tone was slightly cold, as if upset that his time to shine had been ripped away from him.

All three proxies shake their head. Slenderman glances out of the window before grabbing a folder out of one of his desk drawers and handing it to Masky “ _Here’s a tentative list of names that our guest so kindly gave out. I would like you to investigate each one closely and return often with information, whether you think it’s relevant or not. We cannot let too much information fall into human hands so easily._ ”

“When do you want us to leave?” The head of the proxy asks, tucking the folder under his arm.

“ _Before the end of the day would be the preferred time frame,_ ” He turns his head ever so slightly in Hoodie’s direction, ignoring how M/n flattens his ears and curls his lip slightly at the extra attention being given by the faceless creature “ _Get things settled before you go._ ”

“Understood, sir.” Masky gives a slight bow before turning to go, the other two close behind. 

“Looks like we have a couple long nights ahead of us.” Toby says, adjusting his face mask.

“We’ve had worse,” Masky glances at Hoodie “You find someone to look after him yet?” M/n, now wide awake, squirms in the man’s hold as an indication he wanted down. 

Hoodie only shifts him slightly so that he had a better hold as warnings from a certain doctor rang in his head “E.J agreed to look after him for a bit.”

“Better than nothing. You going to drop him off now or before we leave?” Masky asks, watching as Toby switches sides to catch the pup’s attention. M/n’s tail wags harder at the focus aimed at him, thumping against Hoodie’s side with each swing.

“Now would be best. Meet in the kitchen in two hours?” He receives a nod from both before he splits from the group, bickering already starting up full force behind him as he heads for the door leading to the medical room.

“Slenderman finally find the time to send you guys out on a mission?” E.J asks when Hoodie slips into the room.

“It took awhile for him to get the information for this particular mission,” Hoodie states, handing M/n over to the waiting man “I’ll bring some of his things over later.” The dog was much more ecstatic about him than he was with Toby, practically vibrating when he's dropped into his arms. It was odd, as the man rarely spent any time with the hound and the added fact that that time was spent acting as his doctor more than a friend. Certainly made things easier though.

“Why do I feel like a parent getting to see their kid for the weekend?” E.J asks, easily keeping a firm grasp on the hyper puppy who was trying to nudge his muzzle under his mask to lick at his face.

“You're more like the reclusive uncle that randomly pops every few months than a parent,” Hoodie says absently, stuffing his hands in his cold pockets as his thoughts turn to his upcoming mission.

He shrugs and non-to-gently shoves M/n's face away from his “Well, look whose finally growing a semblance of a spine after all these years. Don't let your boss find out or he'll knock you down again.” The only answer the doctor gets is a low hum before Hoodie wanders off. 

The day passes by faster after that, mostly spent getting M/n settled and rechecking the supply bags each proxy had packed. Each bag was light, containing a single pair of spare clothing, extra weapons and in Toby’s case, an alarming amount of sweets. Sure, both Masky and Hoodie had packed some food away but more than half of the jumpy proxy’s bag was dedicated to snacks of various brands.

“How your teeth haven’t fallen out by now...” Masky shakes his head, inspecting a clip before placing it back into the bag sitting on the kitchen table. Hoodie barely caught a glimpse of a small white box before it was tucked underneath a pair of jeans.

“Not like the boss is going to feed us out there,” Toby shoots back, zipping his own pack up and flinging it over his shoulder. Hoodie ignored his partner’s bickering, opting to lean against the table as he waited for them to finish, bag already waiting at his feet.

“Fine, just don’t say I didn’t warn you. Everyone ready to go?” Hoodie nods, grabbing his pack while Toby was already heading for the door. The two follow him out, Masky taking the lead as they vanished into the shadows of the forest.

“Looks like it’s just me and you now,” Eyeless quips when the distant sound of a door slamming shut reaches his sensitive ears. M/n, now in his relocated playpen, chuffs in response as he noses at the newspaper littering the floor. The pair were currently in E.J’s room, a small area attached to the medical ward. It wasn’t as big as Hoodie’s room, having just enough room for a bed, a bookshelf and a closet dug into the right side wall but it fit the doctor well enough. He didn’t spend much time there anyway. M/n’s area sat in the space between the end of the bed and the wall, just big enough for the pup to tumble around freely without the risk of getting into something he shouldn’t.

E.J swipes a book from the bookshelf before settling on his bed, occasionally looking from the dog eared pages to the canine now prancing around scraps of newsprint. He had noted on more than once occasion that the animal was oddly quiet, making the odd chuff or chirp but never raising the volume to a full on bark even as he enjoyed himself. From what he had learned, puppies were rarely quiet. They were always barking, if only to get the attention they craved from others.

Curious and slightly annoyed he couldn’t fall into his book as usual, he sets the novel aside to watch the dog with a more critical eye.

M/n had abandoned the confetti he had created in favor of the small ball Hoodie had tossed in just before he left. His large paws caused the ball to smack into the fence more than once and after the third time he loses interest. It's around then that the pup notices that he had an audience and turns to look at the man, tail sweeping through the scraps of newspaper and ears pricked forward as well he could. After a momentary staring match, M/n hobbles over to the stretch of fence between him and the blue masked man, pawing at it before looking up at him with beseeching eyes. 

“Your looks don’t work on me, mutt,” E.J states leaning back up on the bed and flicking the book back open, all the while keeping an eye on the hound beneath his mask. M/n waits another minute before going back to the ball still sitting in the far end of the area. 

Eyeless only glances away for a moment before he feels something land on the bed. He turns to see the ball sitting on the edge of his bed and the puppy waiting just beyond with an expectant look in his hazy eyes. Arching a brow, he tosses the ball back into the pen, hitting the floor with a pathetic bounce before rolling away. 

Taking this as an invitation, M/n toddles after the toy, squeaking it in his mouth before returning to his former spot. With a toss of his head, he flings the ball back onto the bed with what could only be described as a smug look on his muzzle. 

“Showing a higher level of intelligence and dexterity than most dogs twice his age...” E.J mutters to himself, going over to grab a notebook and a pencil before returning to his bed. M/n tilts his head as the doctor continues to speak under his breath. He gives a low yip in an attempt at getting the man to continue their game, even going so far to slap a paw against the floor when he doesn't get his way.

He looks up at the sound, tilting his head slightly as he takes in the charcoal gray hound “Don’t worry, I didn’t forget you,” E.J taps the eraser of his pencil against the notebook’s metal rings before continuing “I’m sure this will be a very interesting few days for the both of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (content warning, maybe? Not really but better safe than sorry.) Sorry I didn't update this on Monday, I ended up having a series of tests and extra assignments due this week. So yeah, not just my procrastination at work this time. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter and feel free to point out any mistakes you see (also, thank you so much for the comments and just giving this story a read in general!).


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